A team player leaves: Mayor John Peyton was 'strong advocate' for Jaguars

Time will tell if Peyton helped save Jaguars

Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville (back) listens as Jacksonville mayor John Peyton announces that the final game of the 2009 season would not have a television blackout. Peyton was a staunch supporter of the Jaguars.

When outgoing mayor John Peyton talks about his legacy, he mentions things such as economic development, early literacy and Jacksonville losing the unwanted designation as the murder capital of the country.

He downplays the efforts he put into founding Team Teal, the organization that increased Jaguars ticket sales and ended the team's TV blackouts last year.

"I think managing the Jaguars relationship is a part of every administration," Peyton said. "I don't think it is unique to the Peyton administration. I am certainly proud we reversed the blackout trend, but I don't think that is going to be remembered in five, 10 or 15 years."

Peyton might be surprised in the future.

If the Jaguars improve ticket sales, ensuring their long-term viability in Jacksonville, Peyton's efforts in starting Team Teal in the fall of 2009 might be remembered as the catalyst that turned the franchise around.

"He has been an extremely strong advocate for the NFL and the Jaguars," team owner Wayne Weaver told the Times-Union last week. "I really do respect and appreciate Mayor Peyton's support. I can't say enough about his passion and advocacy of the NFL and the Jaguars."

The franchise was struggling when Peyton threw his energies into Team Teal, an initiative to spark renewed interest in the Jaguars and reward season-ticket holders. After winning their only playoff game of the decade in 2007, the Jaguars slipped to 5-11 the following year and season-ticket holders reacted by deserting the team in droves for the 2009 season.

After having only three TV blackouts the previous four seasons, nine of 10 games were blacked out in 2009 and there was talk around the country the team was no longer viable in Jacksonville and would be moving sooner rather than later.

Peyton, who leaves office at the end of the month, said the mayor's office needed to get involved.

"I was seeing what everybody else was seeing," he said. "I was seeing more empty seats than filled. I was observing the blackouts and I was hearing the national chatter. Jacksonville was becoming the poster child for relocation. It was clear to me that this was not good for our image, it's not good for morale and it can be self-perpetuating. If you keep talking about it enough and continue to get to a death spiral, well [people are saying], 'The team is going to leave; I'm not going to buy a season ticket.'

"I said, 'Boy, if this thing played out on the trajectory that we are on, it would be devastating.' We see what happens to towns that lose teams and the monumental efforts they go to get a team back."

Peyton decided the best way to show his support was to help sell tickets. So Peyton went to Weaver about the team's ticket situation and told the Jaguars' owner, "I think you are doing your part and the city needs to do its part."

Peyton showed up at rallies with former Jaguars player and Team Teal commissioner Tony Boselli and Touchdown Jacksonville founder Carl Cannon. They went to businesses and met with CEOs and spoke to community groups across the First Coast.

Through Team Teal, the Jaguars sold enough nonpremium tickets to lift the blackouts for every home game last season, even as other NFL teams struggled with ticket sales (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blacked out every home game last season).

"I think people heard the alarm and the reality of it started to sink in," Peyton said. "It wasn't coming from Wayne. It was coming from me. This was not about the owner, not about the quarterback, not about the wins and losses. It was about what's good for Jacksonville."

Peyton said he developed a friendship with Weaver over the years, but added the two had some "very, very contentious" negotiations during his time as mayor.

The Jaguars and the city amended the team's lease four times during Peyton's administration. He also agreed to let the Jaguars keep 25 percent — about $4 million — of a stadium naming-rights deal with EverBank that was originally intended to go to the city.

"I've joked with Wayne in the room, 'I don't know what was more difficult during my term, building a courthouse or negotiating with Wayne Weaver.' " Peyton said. "Clearly, he is a tough negotiator with a great deal of leverage, but at the end of the day, I think we've struck good deals for the team, for the taxpayer and our friendship has deepened over the years, even though we've been through some adversarial negotiations."

Weaver agreed that he and wife Delores have become friends with Peyton and his wife Kathryn, but disagreed that negotiations with the city were adversarial at any point.

"All you have to be is civil, and you agree to disagree," Weaver said. "Sometimes conflict is not bad as long as it is not adversarial. We have it here in our organization. Sometimes it brings out the best ultimate decision.

"We never had a meeting [with Peyton] that wasn't civil and respectful. Sometimes you agree to disagree on a contentious point and eventually somebody has to make a compromise and typically, both sides compromise in their decision."

Peyton is upbeat about the future of the franchise in Jacksonville.

"I agree with Wayne's assessment that long term we will be an excellent market in a growing part of the country," Peyton said. "We are growing a tradition here."

But Peyton said it's important for fans to keep filling the stadium because Weaver, 76, has said he will sell the team at some point.

"The question is who is going to own this team next," Peyton said. "Anything we can do now to build a satisfactory pro forma is in our best interests. Our performance today is going to dictate what is going to happen tomorrow. It is our job to make sure we build a case over time that this market is not only good, but will get better."

When he leaves office June 30, Peyton will become a season-ticket holder in the lower bowl nonpremium seats. He and several members of his administration bought tickets in that section and will stay in touch that way after leaving City Hall. The city stopped buying luxury box tickets two years ago, and Peyton said he didn't particularly like sitting in the box anyway.

-There's already a tax on every ticket, retard.
-An everbank sponsorship that would've never happened had the jaguars not been here and the city gets 75%? Sounds like a nice deal for taxpayers.
-Most "real cities" have professional sports teams. We could be like Starke if you want? That's a fun town to live in.
-So do ya'll want the mayor to apologize for being a leader in the team teal movement? I can see it..."Dear Jacksonville, I am sorry for talking up the hometown team that has helped transform our city and bring unparalled national recognition. My bad."

And thewendyjx? Really? You'd rather the jaguars leave so you can go throw a ball in your backyard? That was, seriously, the most asinine and laughable post I've seen. Only smart people should be allowed to use the internet.